Chapter 5. Registration at the Adventurers’ Guild

Chapter 5. Registration at the Adventurers’ Guild

3… 2… 1… 0.

I collapsed onto the stone floor at once, hands shaking, breath ragged.

“Damn…” I exhaled through my teeth. “I thought the plank would be easy… but this is way harder than I expected.”

A system window flashed before my eyes:

[Mission No. 3 completed]

[Reward: 30,000 EXP]

As the message flared, that familiar warmth spread through my body. Yeah—another level up.

[Status]

Name: Alessar

Level: 13

Rank: 1

HP: 1570 +120

MP: 1360 +120

Strength: 71 +4

Defense: 42 +4

Speed: 44 +4

Intelligence: 53 +4

Magic Power: 36 +4

Magic Defense: 47 +4

Free Attribute Points: 0 +4

Skills: —

Special Skills:

Training Room (Rank 2)

Alchemy (Rank 1)

“Level thirteen…” I murmured, smiling a little.

In just over two hours—two levels. From eleven to thirteen. Not as fast as I’d hoped… but still far better than risking my life fighting monsters.

Good thing the plank time in each new mission only goes up by one minute. This third mission was only three minutes. Sounds like nothing compared to three hundred squats, push-ups, and on-the-spot jumps. But holding a plank motionless with that vest’s weight turned out way harder than I thought.

After a short rest, I stood again and continued. This world is a system of levels and monsters: the higher my level, the better my odds of surviving. Not only my life depends on it, but what kind of life I get to live. I don’t plan to toil like a slave till I die. I’ll level up, save money, and live the way I want.

—

Well then, I’m ready to go. Time to set out—toward the village.

I’d just reached level twenty by completing the tenth mission.

[Status]

Name: Alessar

Level: 20

Rank: 1

HP: 1690 +600

MP: 1480 +420

Strength: 75 +32

Defense: 46 +14

Speed: 48 +14

Intelligence: 57 +14

Magic Power: 40 +14

Magic Defense: 51 +14

Free Attribute Points: 0

Skills: —

Special Skills:

Training Room (Rank 2)

Alchemy (Rank 1)

I’d gotten lucky earlier: when I stepped out to eat some peaches and red berries, I found the log I’m holding now. Yeah, it’s a bit unwieldy—too thick and big—but sturdy, and it’ll do as a weapon.

My Strength has grown noticeably. I spent all my free attribute points on Strength, and now I can really feel it.

It’s a strange sensation. For me, more than two days have passed. I slept twice in the Training Room. Out here, it looks like only midday. Just a few hours gone by. If I hadn’t gone out for water and fruit, I think only ten or fifteen minutes would have passed here over those two days.

It really is a bizarre feeling.

I’d like to stay and push my level much higher. The higher I am, the better my chances against monsters far tougher than those rabbits. But I should go now. I’ve eaten nothing but peaches and red berries for two days. Not ideal. They’re already starting to wear on me. And it turns out that eating only fruit when you’re used to other food—even if it wasn’t the healthiest—doesn’t do your digestion any favors.

So I decided to set out.

I washed my T-shirt and put it back on, though the blood stains were still there. Well then—about six hours upstream.

I started walking slowly. Unhurried. Cautious. I have to be careful.

—

A Terrible Rabbit defeated. Level: 2. Gained: 10 EXP.

That makes three rabbits I’ve beaten.

I kept their magic stones—small, pale glassy crystals. Well, they’ll definitely come in handy. Looks like such things can be sold.

In one pocket I’m keeping the rabbits’ magic stones; in the other—a health potion. I have two of those now. I need these things to sell later at the Adventurers’ Guild. I really need money right now.

Judging by how slowly mana recovers, I probably won’t manage to create another health potion in time. But the main thing is this: what I get from selling these two potions and the magic stones should be enough to get me started.

I’ve already walked about four hours. By my reckoning, in another two I should reach the bridge and road that will lead me to the village.

—

“Damn… what is with this rabbit?!”

The previous three just lunged at me and died from a single blow of the club, bursting into light right away. But this one… it leapt too, and when I struck—it didn’t vanish. It didn’t break into particles. It just bounced off and stared at me again, ready to jump once more.

I automatically took a couple steps back.

“Damn!” I swore as the rabbit lunged again.

I swung with all my strength, putting my whole body into it. This time it flew sideways, and only then did it flare and disappear, leaving a magic stone behind.

[Terrible Rabbit defeated — Level 9. Gained 45 EXP.]

“Figures why it was tougher…” I panted. “It was way higher level than the other three.”

I looked at my “weapon.” Cracks were already running along the log. The fight with that rabbit was too much for it.

“I need a real weapon…” I muttered. “But where am I supposed to get one here?..”

Yes, I need a replacement. The sooner, the better.

By the feel of it, I’d been walking for over six hours. According to the girls, I should have reached the bridge. And ahead it was getting dark fast—the gorge would soon be covered by night. Still, worst case, I have a safe place. The Training Room is always at hand.

I quickened my pace. Another half hour, and a bridge appeared ahead.

“Finally…” I breathed.

Without realizing it, I’d nearly broken into a run. I wanted out of here as fast as possible.

The bridge was simple but solid: stone supports and a deck raised about a meter and a half above the stream. On both sides, roads had been cut into the gorge walls, leading upward. From their width and the tracks, even a carriage could pass easily.

I climbed onto the bridge without trouble and turned left—the way the girls had pointed.

Soon the road led me out of the stone confines of the gorge. I stepped farther and stopped.

A forest spread out before me. Dark, dense, and silent.

It wasn’t actually that dark yet, but I knew: once the sun slipped below the horizon, traveling this road would become dangerous. Almost like in a scary tale.

There were still a couple of hours till sundown. I hurried.

Good thing there’s a road. Without it, getting through a forest like this would be much harder. Honestly—I’d probably just get lost. There are no real forests in my country. Only in movies on TV have I seen scenes like this.

And here—giant trees with crowns disappearing high in the sky, their trunks imposing by sheer size. Entering such a forest alone is clearly not a great idea.

I felt a strange pressure. Fear, or maybe anticipation, made me walk faster.

After about an hour and a half, a glow flickered ahead. A reddish gleam between the trunks. My heart pounded. I sped up, broke into a run.

And then—the road brought me to the edge of the woods.

The setting sun painted the sky and clouds crimson.

Right in the distance, I spotted houses. Many houses.

Yeah… finally. I’d reached the village.

Wide golden wheat fields spread before me, the ears swaying gently in the light wind. Farther off, in other fields, I saw people working, hurrying to finish before nightfall.

I quickened my step. Night was coming; I needed to make it in time.

My main plan was simple: first find the Adventurers’ Guild, sell two health potions and four rabbits’ magic stones. Hopefully I’d get there before it closed.

As I drew closer to the village, the houses surprised me. They were much simpler than I’d expected. And what was I expecting, anyway? Something exotic? Fantastic? No—ordinary one-story houses, plain and unpretentious.

Damn, there are a lot of them… How am I supposed to find the Adventurers’ Guild among all these buildings?

While I was thinking about that, a few women came in off the paths through the fields, heading into the village. It all looked familiar: when I was a kid, sometimes someone would head back early to start cooking. Village life is hard.

One of the women glanced at me and turned off toward the edge of the village. She didn’t say anything—I was too far away to hear, anyway.

I sped up, almost running. Better to ask right away than wander around in the dark later, when you hardly meet anyone outside.

“Excuse me! Excuse me!” I called as I caught up to the woman.

She stopped and turned.

“Yes? What is it?”

“Good evening. I wanted to ask… I was told there’s an Adventurers’ Guild here. Is that true?” I asked.

She looked me over from head to toe, as if assessing me.

“Well, if you’re an adventurer, go straight along this road. You can’t miss it.”

“Straight?” I clarified.

“Yes. Straight,” she said curtly.

“Thank you, thank you,” I said, hurrying on, almost breaking into a run. I needed to make it before sunset—and it was nearly at the horizon already.

Damn… I didn’t ask how far exactly. But if she said I “can’t miss it,” then the guild must really stand out.

I walked for about ten minutes, and gradually realized: this village wasn’t as small as it had first seemed.

And then—I think I found the Adventurers’ Guild.

Not far away rose a building very different from the rest. Much larger—though only one story, its roof towered far above the neighboring houses. Closer up, I saw that it wasn’t just taller; it covered far more ground—four to five times as big as any other building in the village.

A massive double door loomed before me. Right above it shone an emblem—a crest: a crossed sword and staff, with a heavy shield behind them. At their feet stretched the outline of a slain dragon. Yes, it looked dead.

I was ninety-nine percent sure: this was the Adventurers’ Guild.

“The guild entrance… I’ll register, sell what I came to sell, and go,” I thought, carefully pulling the door.

As soon as the gap widened, a chime rang—dainty bells jingled merrily. Damn… I’d wanted to slip in quietly. Oh well. I opened the door wider and stepped inside.

The first thing that struck me—emptiness. Not a soul. Right in front of me stood a massive counter—surely the registration desk. To the right, a bit deeper into the hall, I spotted a spacious room: long wooden tables and sturdy benches that could easily seat twenty or thirty people. To the left—a door leading somewhere farther in. And one more door stood directly behind the registration desk.

I stepped in quietly, pulled the door to behind me, and stopped. “Now what? Shout? Call someone?..”

At that moment the door behind the registration desk creaked. Instinctively, I tensed. Someone stepped out.

He looked about sixty-five to seventy, but his body didn’t match his age at all: he towered over me by almost a head, and his muscles were like stone blocks, hewn by training and battle. Scars crossed his face: one huge one ran along his left cheek, and on the right were several more deep traces of old wounds. He was completely bald, but a thick short beard covered his chin and cheekbones, making him look even sterner.

I swallowed. Standing before me was someone who had clearly spent a long life fighting… and still looked like he could walk into the arena right now.

“Kid, what do you want?” a deep, slightly hoarse voice cut the silence. Even it held a restrained threat.

I gulped but tried not to show fear. “I’d like to register… become an adventurer,” I answered.

He gave a lazy nod, leaned over the counter, and pulled out a form. “Alright then, name.”

“Alessar,” I said.

He ran his pen across the paper, waved it as if confirming, and went back through the door he’d come from. I stood there in the middle of the hall—feeling awkward without meaning to. What now? How long do I wait? Minutes dragged. After ten minutes, the door behind the desk opened again.

The old man set a metal plate in front of me and barked:

“Catch.”

I took it in hand. A little smaller than a credit card, heavy, with a chain—clearly meant to be worn around the neck. On the front was my name: “Alessar. Adventurer rank G.” On the back—the same emblem: sword, staff, and the vanquished dragon, just like above the entrance.

“Don’t lose it,” the old man said gruffly. “Next time you’ll have to pay for a replacement.”

“Got it,” I nodded, putting the plate on immediately.

Damn… is that it? Registration at the guild? I thought it would be a lot more complicated… Then again, the simpler the better.

“Do you need anything else?” he asked, drilling me with his eyes.

“Yes, I wanted to sell a few things,” I answered, laying two health potions and four rabbits’ magic stones on the counter.

The old man grunted:

“Not bad. So you’ve got some experience already. Let’s see… two rank-one health potions and four rank-zero magic stones. For the potions you get one silver and sixty coppers for each. The stones—one copper each. Total will be one silver and sixty-four coppers.”

He took everything and went back through the door. I waited several more minutes in silence. Finally he returned and set a neat stack of coins in front of me.

“Here.”

I counted with my eyes automatically, but didn’t dare count with my hands. That would be rude—and he likely wouldn’t cheat me, I thought, quickly sweeping the coins into my pocket.

The old man gave my pocket a strange look.

“Alright, do you know the guild rules?” he asked, as if expecting me to say “yes.” From his tone I could tell he hoped I would.

“No,” I admitted honestly. Better to learn the rules now than go searching later—or accidentally break something.

The old man let out a heavy breath.

“Fine. I won’t go into detail; I’ll tell you the basics. Right now you’re a newbie, an adventurer of rank D. To move up to the next rank, you need to complete quests or sell materials the guild needs—like you just did. For every completed quest or materials sale, you earn guild points. Once you’ve accumulated a thousand points, you can apply for promotion. But there’s one condition: you must be at least first rank. That is, level eleven or higher.”

He paused, then continued:

“One more thing. The guild doesn’t cover for criminals. Commit a crime and you’ll answer to the Kingdom for it. The guild won’t protect you. Remember that.”

“That’s it—the most important rules,” the old man concluded.

That’s way too short, I fumed inwardly, but didn’t dare say aloud.

“Alright, thank you,” I said, and was about to head outside.

But the old man called after me:

“Hey, wait. You’re not from this village, are you? I haven’t seen you before.”

“Yeah, I just got here. I’m from somewhere else,” I replied.

“Got any acquaintances, or did you arrange to sleep at someone’s place? Maybe you rented a room from locals?” the old man asked.

“No, I was thinking I might find an inn,” I said.

Damn, I should’ve asked him about an inn before leaving. Good thing he called me back—or I wouldn’t have known who to ask. When I came in, there was hardly anyone outside.

“Inn? You from the city or something? No, your clothes don’t say city. Then again, who knows—cities have their share of ragged folks too,” he said, glancing at my clothes.

Damn, that stung a little, I thought. But looking at myself, I realized—he was right. Especially the T-shirt. After washing, the blood is barely visible, but what’s left looks like dirt. It’s basically a rag now.

“Listen, kid. The only inns in this village are here, in the Adventurers’ Guild,” the old man said.

“Oh. Then I’d like a room,” I stepped back to the counter.

“Alright. One night is ten coppers. That’s for a private room. If you want to save—we’ve got a common room. It’s empty now, but others might show up later. That’ll be five coppers,” he said. “Also, if you want, there’s breakfast and dinner. Another ten coppers on top.”

Private or common? Of course, private. The price already seems very cheap. Roommates—not ideal.

And the meals… yeah, better include breakfast and dinner. Doubt this village has restaurants or anything like that.

“A single room, please, for two days, with breakfast and dinner,” I said.

“Then that’ll be forty coppers,” the old man replied.

I quickly fished a handful of coins from my pocket and started counting.

“Damn…” A silver had slipped in among the coppers. I hastily put it back and counted out exactly forty copper coins.

Coins are a pain. Your fingers get tired before you’re done counting them.

The old man took the payment, reached under the counter, and pulled out a key.

“Your room is number twelve,” he said, pointing toward the side door. “And the cafeteria is over there,” he pointed the other way, where long tables and chairs stood for about thirty people. “If you’re late in the morning, I won’t wake you. Oversleep and you miss breakfast.”

His voice was stern, almost like a warning. Makes sense. If you miss it—it’s on you, I thought.

“Alright,” I nodded, took the key, and headed for the door.

I opened it and found myself in a narrow corridor. It was fairly dim—the sun had already set, and only a weak gloom seeped through windows on one side. Enough light to make out shapes, but shadows pooled in the corners.

“Let’s see… twelve…” I muttered, walking forward, counting doors. Though it wasn’t strictly necessary—the numbers were carved right into the plaques.

Although, to read the numbers on the doors, I had to peer a bit. Huh… odd, I noted. After the fifth door, the distance between rooms got really small. Sixth, seventh, eighth… Each door almost right next to the next—barely a meter and a half, two at most, between them.

“Alright… eleven… twelve. Here’s mine,” I said.

I opened the door and immediately understood why they were so close together. The room was tiny. Not “cozy” tiny—truly small. A single wooden bed with a narrow strip of floor beside it—half a meter, maybe a bit more, to squeeze past. A small nightstand against the wall, and on the opposite wall a tiny window. That was it.

The size was about two by three meters. Length roughly three, width two. The ceiling rose to about three, which helped a little with the sense of cramped space.

“Well, alright… no big deal,” I said. For ten coppers, I shouldn’t expect more.

I wondered for a moment, “I wonder if there’ll be dinner. I paid… Feels awkward to go out and ask again.” But I decided to leave it till morning.

I sat on the bed. Comfort wasn’t even in the vocabulary here—the boards were hard, the blanket thin. I lay down and pulled it over me. Not too comfy, but sleepable.

“Alright, the sooner I fall asleep, the sooner I wake up,” I told myself. Tomorrow, finally, a proper breakfast awaits me.